Guardianship of a 17 year old

[Denise71]

Jurisdiction

North Carolina

I am interested in taking care of my nephew whom is 17 and suffers from alcohol fetal syndrome.His mom and dad were deemed unfit by the state and his grandmother has him.Now she is addicted to drugs,she is negligent in taking care of him by allowing him to steal,lie,roam the streets freely,he's behind in school.Recently,she was hit by a car and seriously injured and is still hospitalized and he's at home with no guidance,do I have a chance to get and take care of him.They are in another state,I'm in Michigan

 

[mightymoose]

Being in another state complicates everything.
When does he turn 18?
Will he be a dependent adult?

You can contact social services in the county where he lives and see if they will check in on him. If they find a problem that requires he be removed from the home you could look in to your options, but it seems you might be a little bit ahead right now.

 

[zddoodah]

do I have a chance to get and take care of him.

Your post provides no information from which anyone could intelligent conclude that you have no chance, so the answer to your question is necessarily yes.

Is that really the only thing you intended to ask?

 

[army judge]

They are in another state,I'm in Michigan

How many months before the lad becomes an adult?

Has the lad been declared mentally incompetent?

Is the lad enrolled in high school and making progress towards a high school diploma?

You might be best served to do nothing until the lad becomes an adult in a few months.

Once he is an adult, if you're still inclined to help him, send him an airplane ticket to visit you.

Or, drive to where he lives and take him to live with you.

Before you do any of that, think about what you're willing to do, and for how long you're willing to do it.

You might wish to consider the impact he could have on any minor children you may have.

 

[Denise71]

How many months before the lad becomes an adult?

Has the lad been declared mentally incompetent?

Is the lad enrolled in high school and making progress towards a high school diploma?

You might be best served to do nothing until the lad becomes an adult in a few months.

Once he is an adult, if you're still inclined to help him, send him an airplane ticket to visit you.

Or, drive to where he lives and take him to live with you.

Before you do any of that, think about what you're willing to do, and for how long you're willing to do it.

You might wish to consider the impact he could have on any minor children you may have.

He will be 18 in December,he's in the 10th grade,going to 11th maybe,he was born with alcohol fetal syndrome and is mentally incompetent.He lived with me from the day he was born until 3 or 4 yrs old.He was born in the state I live in.

 

[Denise71]

Your post provides no information from which anyone could intelligent conclude that you have no chance, so the answer to your question is necessarily yes.

Is that really the only thing you intended to ask?

It is,I was giving a summary of my situation,not trying to explain the entire situation from a to z.I know that if you're not the parent or grandparent,it's hard or difficult to be granted custody.I just wanted to know what steps I could take to make it happen or how hard it would be by us living in different states now.

 

[Denise71]

Being in another state complicates everything.
When does he turn 18?
Will he be a dependent adult?

You can contact social services in the county where he lives and see if they will check in on him. If they find a problem that requires he be removed from the home you could look in to your options, but it seems you might be a little bit ahead right now.

Thanks,he'll be 18 in December,still in 10th grade.He's still playing with 10 -12 yr olds and isn't capable of making rational decisions,easily influenced by older kids because they know he's not at their level.

 

[leslie82]

Thanks,he'll be 18 in December,still in 10th grade.He's still playing with 10 -12 yr olds and isn't capable of making rational decisions,easily influenced by older kids because they know he's not at their level.

I would not let him around 10-12 year olds at 17. Mentally he may not be 17 but once he's an adult - at 18 - things can get tricky for him. I wouldn't put him in a situation that could go wrong.

 

[army judge]

He will be 18 in December,he's in the 10th grade,going to 11th maybe,he was born with alcohol fetal syndrome and is mentally incompetent.He lived with me from the day he was born until 3 or 4 yrs old.He was born in the state I live in.

The young person seems as if he would benefit from counseling, therapy, a psychologist, a psychiatrist, or all of the aforementioned.

You might also seek a support group, counseling, and therapy before you embark upon this adventure.

Some people can't ever function in society.

Some people need to be in hospital or supervised care facilities.

I don't know the young man, and he'll be an adult around Christmas time anyway.

Even if you sought custody, it would take six to seven months to achieve and would be expensive.

Perhaps your money and effort would be better spent by helping the young man and his guardian with counseling, therapy, etc...

Once he becomes an adult, you'll need to become a guardian.

I suggest you discuss this matter with a support group for mentally challenged or emotionally maladjusted teenagers.

I wish you all your heart desires, but be smart.